


Different

by Between_A_Dream (orphan_account)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 16:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7721413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Between_A_Dream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe Ruby and Sapphire are a little bit different. Maybe everyone is. Maybe being different is the key to figuring out exactly where they belong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different

Different. That was the only word to describe it. Describe what? Herself? Ruby didn't know. But she knew everything in that moment and from that moment onwards would be different. Different from how she had planned, different from Sapphire's future visions, different than it was supposed to be. Or... Was it? Was this supposed to happen? It had been hours since either one of them had spoken. Or maybe it had been minutes. Ruby wasn't sure. All she knew was that she was in an entirely new world. There were tons of her. But Sapphire was rare and unique. And yet, the blue aristocratic gem had called her different. Her, a common gem. Thousands of her existed. They weren't valuable. They weren't rare. But to Sapphire, she was different.

Because she had changed the path of fate. Sapphire had spent her entire life knowing exactly how it would happen. Or at least, knowing all possible ways it could happen. But through all possible outcomes that she had envisioned, not one of them had involved Ruby sacrificing everything just to save her physical form. She wouldn't have even died. She would have simply reformed back on home world. The rebellion would have ended. Rose Quartz and her Pearl would have been broken, or worse, if at all possible. She and Ruby would go their separate ways and possibly, but not likely, meet again. All the scenarios she had seen in her head had ended the same. But the one that had actually occurred was something she hadn't seen taking place with even a glimpse of possibility. Everything was different. She was now different. She couldn't see anything, and she didn't want to.

Three eyes. Two gems. One body. That was the basic component of what they had formed. A being with a combination of their eyes, one a mixture of blue and red. Their gems were on separate hands. One body holding them together. That was all anyone who had witnessed the event had seen. Just a strange new being that didn't deserve to exist. But both Ruby and Sapphire knew they felt something so much more. Fire and ice mixing together to create the most incredible flow of energy either one of them had ever experienced. To them it was beautiful. To home world gems, it was a disgrace. To the leader of the rebels, it seemed to be a wondrous mystery. Neither of them had spent too much time wondering why she hadn't destabilized their physical form when she had the chance- they were too busy wondering what their physical form even was.

Sapphire finally gained the courage to look at Ruby. The red gem was sitting against the cave wall. Her eyes were fixated in an intense gaze focused on her gem. Slowly, she reached out and touched her blue hand to Ruby's hand. She jumped, then relaxed again when she looked at Sapphire, but only slightly. Her breathe was still heavy and uneven, her face still flushed with scarlet, her words still unable to form complete sentences. "I... I um... Do you wanna take a walk?" the blue gem finally questioned. "But it's-" before Ruby could finish, the rain outside slowed to a stop. "Raining..." she finished unnecessarily, then looked back at her companion, who only offered a small smile. She returned it and the two headed out of the cave.

As they walked through a large meadow, they held hands, smiling and laughing and singing together. Everything in their lives was changing and neither of them knew what to expect. But at that moment neither of them cared. At that moment, they weren't a Ruby and a Sapphire. They weren't a common gem and a rare aristocrat. They weren't anything except themselves. They were two gems with no boundaries to keep them from saying anything to each other, or doing anything in front of the other.

Sapphire had never laughed and played without a care. Ruby had never done anything without permission from a higher ranking gem. The strange new world of Earth broke the limits of all the rules and boundaries they had been taught since they were created. They were from different sides of home world, but on Earth they were one in the same. And as they danced through the forest, they became something entirely new and entirely wonderful.

It wasn't easy at first, maneuvering through trees and bushes and branches. But slowly, the two gems learned to work as one. It became easier to walk. And then, they- no- she, fell. When she landed, she was staring straight at the end of a sword. Instantly, Ruby's instincts took over. "Don't hurt her!" she shouted, then she realized that she wasn't standing in front of Sapphire. They were in the same body. "Don't hurt... Me?" she more so questioned than pleaded.

"It's you... The fusion..." Pearl spoke with less disgust than that of the home world gems, but still with absolute confusion. "We didn't mean to fuse! Well... Well we did this time... We'll unfuse!" she started to let herself release her form, when a voice from the shadows stopped her. "No no! I'm glad to see you again," out into the light stepped a tall pink gem. Her smile radiated with warmth. Both gems were confused. No one had yet to address her with such kindness and understanding, as if they didn't need to explain themselves or justify anything they were doing.

"I... I don't... Upset you?" she questioned, staring between Rose and Pearl. "Who cares how I feel! How _you_ feel is bound to be much more interesting," Rose grinned. "How... I feel? I feel... Lost... And scared... And happy. Why am I so sure that I'd rather be this, than everything I was supposed to be? Or that I'd rather do this, than everything I was supposed to do?" neither gem within the fusion was sure who was actually asking the question. Rose laughed. "Welcome to earth," she smiled. "Can you tell me? Why was Ruby able to alter fate? Or why was Sapphire willing to give up everything? What am I?" she cried. "No more questions. Don't ever question this. You already are the answer," Rose held a hand in each of her own, and both crystal gems smiled at her. They unfused.

"What... What do we do now?" Ruby finally questioned. "Well you join us silly! I mean, if you both want to," Rose grinned. The two smaller gems looked at each other nervously, then back at Rose and Pearl shyly. "We'll give you some space. We'll be just over there, let us know what you decide," with that and a point to the location they would be at, the two gems were gone in an instant. Ruby wasn't sure what to say or what to do. She didn't even know if she should look at Sapphire. When she finally did, the blue gem had her single gorgeous eye uncovered and she was staring at her intently. Ruby blushed, looked away, then looked back after a moment. She was still staring. "Why do you keep doing that?" the red gem finally asked.

"Doing what?" Sapphire questioned, taking a step closer. "Staring at me like I'm something special and memorizing and wonderful," the crimson colored gem looked down. "Because you are," Sapphire took another step closer. "No I'm not! Don't you see? I'm just a Ruby. I'm one of millions of others just like me. I just happened to change a vision you had. But that doesn't make me special or unique. That makes me impulsive and rebellious. That's how rubies are. That's how all of us are. And I-" before Ruby could finish, Sapphire closed the distance between them with a quick stride and kissed her. The shock of the kiss was enough to keep her from kissing back, and after a moment Sapphire blushed nervously. She pulled away, and opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could Ruby kissed her.

When they pulled apart, Sapphire held out her hand, her gem sparkling in the sun. Ruby cautiously reached out her own gem and the two embraced tightly. "You're different. You're special. For the first time in my life, I can't see the future. And so far not seeing what's coming next has been the best experience of my life. I don't want it to end," Sapphire's voice was a whisper. They pulled back so they could see each other, and slowly they started twirling with each other. The dance sped up and suddenly they were back in one person. It was much easier to get used to the third time around, and quickly they made their way over to where Rose and Pearl stood. When they were in sight, Rose smiled warmly. "Have you made your decision?" she asked. They nodded and stepped forwards.

"Well, you're a whole new gem now. What should we call you?" Pearl questioned, her tone warmer than before. "Um... Well... Uh..." neither Ruby or Sapphire had given their name any thought. If they were going to be a fusion, they did need a name. "How about Garnet?" Rose asked with a smile. Garnet. It fit. It felt right. Garnet smiled and nodded. "Well then Garnet, welcome to the crystal gems," Rose pulled her into a hug and laughed. "Come on, we should introduce you to the others!" the pink gem giggled. "Won't they be a little... I don't know... Upset? That I'm so different?" Garnet questioned, her mind racing with possible unfortunate scenarios. "Hey, don't worry. We're all a little different here. That's just how it is on earth," Rose's words made Garnet smile and relax. The crystal gems were different. And so was she. But maybe being different was the key to finding exactly where she fit in.


End file.
